The Film Noir Foundation's world-famous and fabulous yearly NOIR CITY film festival returns to San Francisco's legendary Castro Theatre for its 15th year anniversary, January 20-29. This year's theme is "The Big Knockover" and the fest delivers 24 exceptional films ranging from the late-1940s to today and from all parts of the globe. That's almost 70 years of heists, hold-ups, and schemes gone wrong.

NOIR CITY 15's lineup explores the desperate lengths to which people will go to beat the system and hit the big time, charting a veritable history of the heist film from black & white Hollywood classics such as Criss Cross (1949) and The Asphalt Jungle (1950) to stunning contemporary thrillers like El Aura (2005) and Victoria (2015).

"This year's focus on heist movies provides the perfect opportunity to venture beyond the 1940s and '50s to show how noir has expanded and transformed over the decades," said NOIR CITY festival producer and host, Eddie Muller. "To me, it's one of the most exciting programs we've ever done. The movies are terrific individually, but viewed as a 66-year chronological storyline, this program is a uniquely powerful experience."

Noir City wants you to get dark for the holidays. On Wednesday, December 14th, our friends at the Film Noir Foundation present Noir City Xmas, their 7th annual holiday double feature, at the historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Tossing aside Christmas treacle for a headlong dive into a double bill of danger and darkness, this year's noir-stained noel flicks are Quentin Lawrence's Hammer Film Cash on Demand (1961) and Harold Ramis's neo-noir The Ice Harvest (2005).

In addition to the screenings, host Eddie Muller will reveal the theme and complete film schedule for the eagerly anticipated NOIR CITY 15 festival, coming to the Castro Theatre January 20-29, 2017. NOIR CITY 15 Passports (the all-access festival passes) will be available for sale that night as well on the Castro mezzanine.

They will also have collection bins for both the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program and the SF-Marin Food Bank at the event. The San Francisco Firefighters are looking for toys for kids (infants through 12 years old). Toys must be un-gift-wrapped. The SF-Marin Food Bank needs the following: peanut butter, low-sugar cereal, whole-grain rice, pasta, oats, low-sodium soups and stews, tuna and other canned meats, and canned fruits and vegetables. Please no glass, opened items, perishables, or items past their "use before" date.

The Film Noir Foundation's world-famous yearly film festival NOIR CITY returns to San Francisco's majestic Castro Theatre for its 14th edition January 22-31. This year's theme is "The Art of Darkness," delivering 25 noir-stained films exploring the pressures, pitfalls, paranoia, and pain of being an artist in an indifferent and cruel world. This time the tortured protagonists aren't felons or fall guys, they're writers, painters, dancers, photographers, and musicians. I think we can all relate.

Our friends at the Film Noir Foundation present Noir City Xmas, their 5th annual holiday double feature, on Wednesday, December 17th at San Francisco's majestic Castro Theatre. Eddie Muller, your host for the evening and founder/president of the Film Noir Foundation, will reveal the schedule and the hot new poster for the eagerly anticipated NOIR CITY 13 festival, which runs January 16-25, 2015!

The holiday-themed features for the evening will be:

O. Henry's Full House (1952, 117 minutes) This anthology of short stories by America's master of the ironic twist is as entertaining as it is star-studded, featuring juicy roles for Richard Widmark, Anne Baxter, Farley Granger, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Laughton, Jean Peters, and many more. 20th Century-Fox employed several of its most renowned directors — Henry Hathaway, Henry King, Howard Hawks, Henry Koster, and Jean Negulesco — to bring to life such famous O. Henry tales as "The Last Leaf," "The Clarion Call," and the Christmas classic "The Gift of the Magi." Each segment is introduced by John Steinbeck!

The Curse of the Cat People (1944, 70 minutes) This sequel to 1942's The Cat People is a stunner on many levels. Far from being a horror story, it's a poignant and deeply felt meditation of the pain and loneliness of childhood, and perhaps the most sublime and personal film in the career of legendary producer Val Lewton. Eight-year-old Ann Carter gives a mesmerizing performance as imaginative little Amy, with Simone Simon (the original Cat Woman) reappearing as her imaginary friend. A spellbinding classic, co-directed by Robert Wise.

Noir City once again offers the dark gift of film noir for the holidays!

The Film Noir Foundation, dedicated to preserving films in danger of being lost or irreparably damaged AND the organization behind the Noir City film festival, presents their fourth annual Noir City Xmas show on Wednesday, December 18th at San Francisco's Castro Theatre!

The double dose of Noir Noel will feature Allen Baron's landmark independent crime drama Blast of Silence (1961) followed by the ultra-rare genre-bending Christmas Eve (1947). Allen Baron will be in attendance to introduce his legendary cult classic, and at the intermission will be signing copies of his new book, Blast of Silence: A Memoir. The show will also feature the public release of the NOIR CITY 12 program schedule, the unveiling of the new NOIR CITY 12 poster, and holiday shopping for the noir-lover in your life. "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller and the reigning Ms. NOIR CITY 2013, Audra Wolfmann, will host.

Both films will screen in 35mm, and as usual tickets for this exceptional event are only $10 for the double bill! Get your tickets HERE!